Flash light



Jan 9, 1923 J. T. ROFFY.

FLASH LIGHT.

FILED JAN. 2. 1920.

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Patented "Tan. l3;

' J'QSJEPH T. BUFFY, 01E BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FLASH LIGHT.

application filed January 2, 1920. Serial No. 348,926

f0 (1H whom it may concern:

Be it known that l JOSEPH T. lttorr'r, a citizen of Hungary. residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Flash Lights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in flashlights. one of the objects being to provide arrangement to prevent the break ing of the bulbs should the device fall upon a hard surface. If the ordinary type of flashlight is subjected to a violent shock, it has been found that not only the glass portion of the bulb, but the end of the bulb which contacts with the battery 1s l1kelv to be broken due to the weight and inertia of the battery. To obviate this difficulty I provide a bulb-holder arranged to 1 yield when shock is applied thereto, thereby lessening the blow upon the end of the bulb.

T will now proceed to describe the novel arrangement of parts whereby I carry out my invention. reference being had to the accomp'aning drawing, wherein Figure 1 illustrates a flashlight, partly in section, having my improvement applied thereto;

F igure 2 is a top plan view of my improved bulb-holder; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating a modified form of bulb-holder.

My invention comprises a bulb-holder (in this instance cup-shaped) having a bulbsocket 2 carried thereby. and an adjacent disk 3 of insulating material secured thereto by the downturned hook-portions at, said disk 3 being preferably cut away as at 5 to allow the passage of the slidable switch element (5. The disk 3 is also provided with a central aperture for the bulb'l The bulb holder 4 is insulated from the casing by the sleeve 7.

To render the bulb-holder resilient it provide the bottom thereof with concentric circular struck up portions 8, in this instance three in number. These struck up portions of the bottom of the bulb-holder render it sufficiently flexible to yield under a sudden blow to cushion the shock thereof. The insulating disk 3 is also yieldable and serves to keep the pole 9 of the battery out of contact with the bulb-holder 1 when the bulb 10 is removed. The bottom of the bulbonly to excessive forces such as result when a sudden shock is applied, and not under normal conditions.

To force the battery 12 against the bulb 10, I provide aspring 13 is common in the well known type of flashlight. hc pressure of this spring will hold the battery in contact with the bulb but will not he sufficent to cause the bottom of the bulb-holder to yield.

In operation. should the flashlight be accidentally dropped. the battery by reason of its momentum will be driven against the end of the bulb 11. but owing to the resilient support for the latter, the blow will be cushioned. and the bulb will move or yield in the direction of the application of the shock without breaking. When an ordinary flashlight is dropped even a short distance in such direction as to cause the head of the flashlight to strike the floor. the battery will be driven against the end of the bulb, thereby breaking same. TVith a flashlight employing my improved bulb-suppprt, how ever, this danger is to a large extent obviated and the bulb will remain intact under quite severe shocks. llt will be obvious that my improvement is not limited to any special construction of head or casing.

Figure 3"illustrates a modified form of bulb-holder 14k, the bottom thereof being struck up in the form of concentric circles 15 in this instance two in number. In this form I employ a thin yieldable metal plate 16 to act as a conductor between the batterv and the end of the bulb and support the entire weight of the battery when the portable light is inverted, thereby relieving the bulb from stresses. The plate 16 is held by the disks 1? and 18 of insulating material. which in turn are attached to the holder 1% by the rivets 19. In this form of my invention, the bulb when in place will project through the opening 20 in the disk 17 and contact with the plate 16. The operation of this modified form is exactly similar to the device shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Certain features illustrated in this application are claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 348,925, of even date here with. v

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the examples herein shown. but may be practiced in various other ways.

Having now described my invention, what ll claim is:

l. A bulb holder for a portable electric light consisting of a body member provided with a plurality of concentric struck up portions to render same yieldable, and a bulbsupport carried by said body-member.

2. In a portable electric light, a casing. a battery carried thereby, a bulb-holder located at one end of said battery and arranged to yield longitudinally of the casing. an insulating element located between the battery and the bulb-holder, and a metallic conductor carried by the insulating member and arranged to contact with the adjacent pole of the battery and also against the end of a bulb carried by the holder.

3. Ina bulb-support for a portable electric light, a body member having a plurality of struck up portions arranged in circular form, a yieldable body of insulating material carried by the body member but spaced therefrom, and a conductor carried by the body of insulating material arranged to bear against the end of a bulb carried by said holder.

4. In a bulb-holder for a portable electric light, a body member having a plurality of struck up portions arranged in circular form, a body of insulating material carried therebyv but spaced therefrom, said body of insulating material being provide-d with a central opening for the passage therethrough of the end of a bulb, and a yieldable conducting plate carried by the body of insulating material and located in line with said opening.

5. A breakage preventing holder for a bulb of a portable electric light, comprising a disk having resilient corrugations formed therein whereby said bulb will be permitted to yield and slowly absorb the force ap plied thereto by the battery cell whenever the light is subjected to-sudden shock.

6. In a battery hand lamp, a metal casing, a bulb holder supported near one end of said casing, insulated therefrom and through which a lamp bulb is adapted toproject, a lamp bulb Within said holder and projecting therethrough, a combined sheet metal contact and support member sup-ported below and extending across the end of said bulb holder and insulated therefrom and with which the end of the lamp bulb contacts, a battery in said casing having one terminal-contacting with said combined contact and support member and means for establishing electrical connection from the other terminal of said battery to said bulb holder.

7. In a battery hand lamp, the combina-' tion of a metal casing, a flanged plate secured near one end of said casing, insulated therefrom and provided with a bulb holder through which a lamp bulb is adapted to project, a lamp bulb within and projecting through said holder. :1 metal contact secured to and insulated from said holder and with which the projecting end of the lamp bulb contacts, a battery in said casing buying one terminal contacting with said metal contact. a spring for holding said battery terminal in contact with said metal contact and means for establishing electrical connection from the other terminal of said battery to said socket member.

8. In a battery hand lamp. the combination of a casing, a metal plate supported at one end of said casing. insulated therefrom and provided with a bulb socket through which a lamp bulb is adapted to project. a lamp bulb within and projecting through said socket, a disk of insulating material sccured to-said plate and having a central opening registering with the bulb socket. a metal contact member secured to said disk and extending below the socket with which one terminal of the lamp contacts and which serves as a stop for the battery. :1 battery within the casing having one terminal in contact with said contact member and means for establishing electrical connection from the other terminal to said metal plate.

9. In a battery hand lamp, the combination of a casing, a flanged metal plate supported at one end of said casing. insulated therefrom and provided with a bulb socket through which a lamp bulb is adapted to project, a lamp bulb within and projecting through said socket. a disk of insulating material secured to said plate and having a central opening registering with the bulb socket, a metal contact member secured to said disk and extending below the socket with which one terminal of the lamp contacts and which serves as a support for the battery when the device is inverted, a battery within the casing having one terminal in contact with said contact member and means for establishing electrical connection from the other terminal to said metal plate.

10. In a battery hand lamp, a casing, a bulb holder supported near one end of said casing and through which a lamplmlb is adapted to project, a lamp bulb within said holder and projecting thercthrough, a. combined sheet metal contact and support member supported below and extending across v the end of said bulb holder and insulated therefrom and with which the end of the lamp bulb contacts, a battery in said casing having one terminal contacting with said combined contact and support member and means for establishing electrical connection from the other terminal of said battery to said bulb holder.

In testimony whereof, I have atlixed my signature to this specification.

JOSEPH T. ROFFY.

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